Six-Hour Tarmac Delay on Pune-Hyderabad Flight Leaves Over 150 Passengers Stranded
IndiGo Halts Kathmandu Flights Amid Nepal Unrest, Waives Fees For Affected Passengers
Pune, May 21 — What began as a routine morning flight from Pune to Hyderabad turned into a frustrating day-long ordeal for more than 150 passengers aboard IndiGo Flight 6E-6473, which remained grounded on the tarmac for nearly six hours on Tuesday before finally taking off around 4:15 PM.
The flight was originally scheduled to depart at 8:40 AM, with boarding reportedly completed by 8:20 AM. However, passengers were soon informed of delays due to “defence-related activity,” followed by further announcements citing “increased bird activity” near the runway.
What was initially expected to be a short delay quickly escalated into a prolonged wait inside the aircraft. Mid-morning, the airline informed passengers that the aircraft needed refueling—an unexpected development that further confused flyers, as the plane had been prepared for departure earlier. A subsequent announcement revealed a technical issue, adding yet another reason for the delay.
“We were stuck inside for hours with no clear communication,” said Ramesh Kulkarni, one of the passengers. “First it was defence exercises, then birds, then fuel, and finally a technical snag. It just didn’t make sense.”
By 1:20 PM, mounting frustration led several passengers to demand deboarding. The airline eventually allowed those who wished to disembark to do so. Some passengers chose to remain on board after receiving an updated departure time of 2:00 PM. However, when another delay pushed that to 4:00 PM, most remaining flyers also chose to exit the aircraft.
“I waited for hours thinking we’d be airborne any minute,” said Ananya Deshmukh, who ultimately rebooked a different flight for the evening. Another passenger, Rohit Salunkhe, cancelled his travel plans altogether and opted to travel the following day.
IndiGo issued a statement apologizing for the inconvenience. “Flight 6E-6473 from Pune to Hyderabad on May 20 was delayed due to a technical issue. An alternate aircraft was arranged, and refreshments were provided to passengers. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused,” the airline said.
Coincidentally, a similar delay occurred the same day on an IndiGo flight from Pune to Bangkok, which experienced a 90-minute hold-up after boarding. The airline cited similar reasons—defence activity and bird movement near the runway.
